CANINE CORNER WITH REBECCA HAWKINS
THE FOXHOUND
I’m sure most of you enjoyed watching Crufts in March, I know I did. One breed I noticed being entered as a rarity there days was the Foxhound.
A total of 2,847 dogs were entered in Crufts 2024 and there was a mere 5 Foxhounds entered into the world-famous competition this year, as opposed to the Golden Retriever who had as many as 538!
As a girl growing up in the countryside I remember seeing many Foxhounds about. Hearing the Hunters horn or a “Trompe d’ Orleans” - used to indicate losing a fox in covert - was a sound I got used to on a Sunday morning.
As I got older and understood that this sound was associated with the fleeing fox I soon started to resent it. Fox hunting, which was once a popular and widely practiced sport, has faced increased scrutiny and regulation in many countries and has thankfully been banned in the UK in 2004 but with this the decline in Foxhounds has become apparent.
Foxes were referred to as ‘beasts of the chase’ in medieval times, along with red deer, and the earliest known attempt to hunt foxes with hounds was in Norfolk, England, in 1534 where farmers began chasing foxes down with their dogs for the purpose of pest control. The Breed is believed to be a descendant of various English hunting hounds, such as the Greyhound, the Bulldog, and the Fox Terrier.
For those hunters who had previously tracked deer, which required large areas of open land, foxes and hares became the prey of choice in the seventeenth century, with packs of hounds being trained specifically to hunt. England’s oldest fox hunt, which is still running today, is the Bilsdale Hunt in Yorkshire, established by George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham in 1668.
Nowadays their hunting prowess and endurance have made them versatile working dogs in various fields. They are commonly used in search and rescue operations due to their exceptional scenting abilities and ability to cover large areas quickly. Some Foxhounds are even employed as therapy dogs, providing comfort and companionship to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities.
As pets, they require regular exercise to channel their energy and prevent destructive behaviour. Being active dogs, with high energy they thrive in homes with spacious gardens or access to open spaces where they can run and play. Their friendly and sociable nature makes them well-suited for families with children and other pets. However, due to their high prey drive potential owners should be prepared to invest time and effort into training and socialising them from an early age to ensure they grow into well-behaved and balanced dogs.
